Watch: World champion cyclist involved in horrific accident after crashing into traffic post
Mark Cavendish may be a terrific cyclist, but he’s also a snake-bitten one.
The 32-year-old Tour de France champion has an aggressive style of riding, one which leaves him vulnerable to injuries.
Last year, he had to withdraw after just four stages of the sport’s biggest event after he crashed with world champion Peter Sagan at the finish line, suffering a broken shoulder blade.
On Saturday, Cavendish was competing in the Milan-San Remo in Italy, when bad luck struck again.
Mark Cavendish @MarkCavendish hitting road furniture. Looks nasty. Hope he is ok. pic.twitter.com/z1Y8zzmS4J
— IrishCyclingNews.com 🇮🇪 (@Irish_Cycling) March 17, 2018
Cavendish was already riding with a fractured rib when he struck a road barrier toward the end of the race.
As the video shows, an accident during a race is not the place a rider wants to be.
Milan San Remo: talking points – 2. And this awful high speed crash to Mark Cavendish who was riding a wonderful race but his luck is just all bad at the moment in races. He is currently being assessed by a medical team say his team. pic.twitter.com/x16c5xCn1b
— British Cycle Sport (@VeloUK) March 17, 2018
After flying through the air, the champion cyclist landed on his back.
According to the U.K. Daily Mail, he stayed on the ground for some time, then staggered back to his feet.
Medical tests show he had a new rib fracture — on the same side as the one he already had.
Additionally, Cavendish suffered various bruises and abrasions and an injury to his ankle, described as a potential “ligamentous ankle injury” the severity of which won’t be known until further examination.
Saturday’s accident continues a disturbing trend for Cavendish, starting with last year’s Tour de France (which kept him sidelined the rest of the year) and a crash earlier this season during the Abu Dhabi Tour in which he suffered a concussion.
Perhaps an ominous tone was set on Friday, when Cavendish tweeted about his love for this event — and his limitations.
Tomorrow, a race close to my heart, a Monument I won, a course that builds a crescendo like no other in cycling. 300km. Milano-Sanremo. I still have a broken rib. I can’t do it anymore damage, but I’m under no illusions to win. I’ll be in full support of my @teamdidata teammates. pic.twitter.com/Exg40JsoRk
— Mark Cavendish (@MarkCavendish) March 16, 2018
The 2018 Tour de France will get underway on July 29. Hopefully Cavendish’s luck will turn by then.
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